From Avanish Kumar, Toxics Link, New Delhi

Posted 31 October 2007

Rapid urbanization has put Third World cities in an urban crisis. Municipal authorities, in third world cities, have not been able to dispose off urban waste in a scientific and eco-friendly manner. Inappropriate waste disposal technologies have only intensified the problem. Composting has been promoted as an eco-friendly and sustainable solution to urban waste management. However, experiences of composting projects have not been very good.

From Bhawna Vajpai, The Loomba Trust, New Delhi

Posted 7 July 2008

I work for the UK based Loomba Trust, committed to upgrading and constructing water supply, sanitation and hygiene facilities in schools under its WASH initiatives. We aim to work in 1,000 schools across India (rural areas and small towns) in collaboration with state governments.

From Aparna Das, UNDP, New Delhi

Posted 11 January 2007

Under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, large investments are to be made for modernizing and upgrading sewage and solid waste management facilities in cities (See http://www.urbanindia.nic.in/moud/programme/ud/jnnurm.htm for details).

Original Query: Dr. B K Sharma, Gwalior Childrens Hospital, Madhya Pradesh

Posted: 9 December 2005

Dear friends,

I am posting this query on behalf of Gwalior Childrens Hospital, a grassroots organization in Madhya Pradesh. We are working in Gwalior and Chambal region especially in rural areas and building the Orphanage- Snehalaya near village Sikroda, where there is no infrastructure for sanitation at present. We are hoping to cater for 100 children and adults in its first phase though shall expand it to accommodate 500 children and adults there ultimately.

From Poulomy Chakraborty, Feedback Ventures (P) Ltd, New Delhi

Posted 4 November 2008

I work for Feedback Ventures, an infrastructure consultancy based in New Delhi. We are involved in a sanitation project known as 'Community Led Total Sanitation' (CLTS) which is supported by the Water and Sanitation Programme – South Asia (WSP-SA) in Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Sikkim.

From Aniruddhe Mukerjee, Government of Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal

Posted 21 May 2007

Dear Members,

I used to work for the UN-HABITAT on the Water for Asian Cities Programme, which aims to support developing countries in Asia and Pacific to achieve sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation for the poor, particularly in urban areas. In Madhya Pradesh, the programme is working in four cities of the state, viz. Bhopal, Gwalior, Indore and Jabalpur for improvement and expansion of urban water supply, sewerage and sanitation, water drainage and solid waste management.

From Lizette Burgers, UNICEF, New Delhi

Posted 20 October 2008

The South Asia Conferences on Sanitation (SACOSAN) are high-powered regional ministerial conferences that discuss sanitation. They help develop a regional agenda on sanitation, enable learning from experiences and plans for the future. The objectives are to accelerate sanitation and hygiene coverage, and enhance peoples’ quality of life in keeping with the Millennium Development Goals and the commitments made at the World Summit on Sustainable Development, 1992. Till date, two conferences have been held at Bangladesh (2003) and Pakistan (2006).

From Benny George, Department of Drinking Water Supply, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, New Delhi

Posted 19 July 2007

I work as a Consultant (Monitoring and Evaluation) with the Department of Drinking Water Supply, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India. As you are aware, the Department is implementing a number of programmes for ensuring the supply of safe drinking water and proper sanitation facilities in rural areas of India. According to the latest estimates, sanitation coverage in India has reached 44 per cent. Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC), implemented by the Department, aims to achieve full sanitation coverage by 2012, well ahead of the targets set under MDG 7. The Nirmal Gram Puraskar has given a fillip to achieving open defecation free status and some states like Mizoram, Sikkim and Tripura are on the verge of achieving full sanitation coverage.

Original Query: Sheldon Mendonca, Watershed Organization Trust (WOTR), Ahmednagar

Posted: 28 June 2006

I work with the renewable energy department recently formed by Watershed Organisation Trust (WOTR). WOTR is looking to use renewable energy technologies to attempt solving the energy problems faced by communities in rural Maharashtra.

In this context, I would be grateful, if members of the community can share with me:

Original Query: Nidhi Prabha Tewari, Sanket Information & Research Agency, New Delhi

Posted on: 6th July 2005

I am part of a professional group, which provides inputs on developmental issues to the Member of Parliament from East Delhi. This query is related to solid waste management in the constituency.